This is a new weekly segment addendum that involves the utmost of my knowledge concerning certain aspects of weightlifting, bodybuilding, diet, supplementation and other focal points of interest. Of course, it is meant for Italians because we contain the greatest pertinent genetics. This column was inspired by how my legs and back seem sore beyond repair as of this morning. And no, I was not "doing it doggy-style" last night. This soreness stems from a hyper-intensive workout yesterday.
Today, we are going to be discussing muscle fatigue and repair. This specific article is aimed toward bodybuilders. (If you are purely a weightlifter; get fat and eat like the sumo gods all day long). However, if you are more like me and yearn for the pinnacle of your body's low-fat percentage and overall muscularity aesthetics, then you should know that your life is going to change. This isn't a simple alteration of a few months; it is a neverending process of dedication and boundless energy utilization.
This information pertains to anyone involved in any workout regimen that seeks a bodybuilder physique. Money is a definite issue for most who aspire to be truly successful. Anyway, you absolutely need one, at minimum, meal before your workout. I personally eat two meals before I head to the gym and 6 to 8 meals/day. Let me describe what I mean by meals. Within the first half-hour of waking, you need to consume one small meal to replenish the protein deterioration from the previous night's rest. However, these meals must contain all the proper amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrates and nutrients necessary for you. Remember, because I don't know you, the reader's, body weight and general fat and muscle disposition, I cannot tell you specifically how many calories and fat/carb content you must maintain. As a general rule of thumb, I ingest between 40 and 60 grams of whey or caseinate (long-lasting) protein at night. This will work for everyone. Take a Casein Protein shake with water right before you fall asleep. This great protein will time-release itself into your muscles while you sleep so that you do not suffer from protein deprivation. Never consume more than 40-60 g's of protein within at least two hours. I will wait anywhere from 2 to 4 hours between each meal. Time two of your meals, pre and post-workout, to be in that same time frame so that you ingest one meal's protein right before you workout and one meal's protein directly after your workout. Be creative with your meal plans.
I eat very little fat, and I try to take in a sufficient amount of carbs. Do not underestimate the carbohydrate power. It is crucial for repairing your energy and cardiovascular stamina despite what you may have heard (Damn that Atkins).
Also make sure you don't forget to absorb enough sodium. I know you may think sodium is detrimental to overall health, but you're wrong. That is in excess and if you ingest too little only. Your starving muscles appreciate sufficient sodium intake because they absorb more water this way. Hence, they are happier muscles now. Sodium increases muscle size through an increase in muscle cell fluid volume. Many critical amino acids are "sodium-dependent"; so if you lack sufficient sodium, much of the protein you've worked so hard to intake is wasted because the relative amino acids are negatively effected due to a lack of sodium. I can go on, but just take my word for it. Sodium is utterly crucial; however, do not go and down a vial of table salt every day. In fact, don't use table salt (NaCl) at all. It's essentially poison. Use pure sea salt on your whole foods, or just get the proper sodium from the foods you have eaten.
For most of your muscles, you need to allow at least 72 hours for them to repair. Larger muscle groups, such as your legs and back, may require up to an entire week. Smaller muscles, such as biceps, may only take 48 hours to fully recover. You may end up hitting the abdominal region every single day - even off-days. They are capable of complete muscle rejuvination in about 24 hours. Be smart about it, and don't try to show-off. If you're up for shoulders that day and they feel quite sore still, do not stress them that day. Besides, then who is going to overseer and whip those slaves into submission with impossibly sore shoulders? Don't call me and ask to be your overseer if this happens because I live nowhere near any plantations - wink, wink.
Dan's Final Thought/Advice: Think of your body as a fuel tank for a jet engine. The military must infuse only the primo sources of fuel for these jets to perform optimally. You will be more inclined and more able to perform at your peak someday through consistency of diet and workout. Follow the daily percentage volumes/calorie intake. If it says take in 80 grams of fat for a 2000 calorie diet daily, and you eat 10,000 calories at least like me. Then you can figure out how much fat you can have. But, recall, I said this was a very low-fat diet. For this diet, your fat content should be approximately 10-20 % of your daily consumption caloric. Adio.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Italians in the Workplace
Yesterday, I was filling out a very basic and common application for an entry-level position at a local hospital. As I have noticed in the past, there seems to be something missing from this application process. A giant void that leaves a foul, yet distinct taste in my mouth as if I had just decided it was kosher to consume pork on the Rhamadan. In a sense, this is as disrespectful to Italian-Americans as it is for Jews to eat bacon or ham on Rhamadan.
...I am in no way a professional blogger yet. Somehow I was cut short in my truthful discussion concerning the Italian working man and woman and sometimes child (usually the kids that have to smash grapes with their feet in old Sicily). Now as many of you may have guessed, I am a true-blooded Italian. But even more so, I am a full-out Sicilian. We succeeded from the north, or maybe that was simply a part of the erosion of the great Pangea. I think it was. Nonetheless, I was trying to portray an image of how blatantly disrespectful a certain part of the application process in America has become. No, I am not African-American, Hispanic, or really even Caucasian (unless I've drank too many of these fine cocktails; I tend to give a pale hue about my skin). So, business owners of the world. Realize and analyze this (Robert Deniro, Billy Crystal). In the 2000 U.S. Census annual report, Italian Americans constituted the fifth largest ancestry group in America with about 15.6 million people. That's 5.6% percent of the population. As of 2006, we became even more abundant at 17.8 million Italian-Americans comprising 6.0% of the U.S. populace (Euro-Americans.net/census2000). Yes, we are amazing people, but these numbers also show that with that amazingness, we deserve a spot on every ethnic background area of every kind and type of application in America.
What could be better than numerous amounts of absolutely amazing people in the respectful job positions? Even though we are sons and daughters of Italy, we cannot all become Rocky. I am not diluted into thinking that we are the greatest nationality of peoples because we were born that way. Maybe, but we had to work just as hard if not harder than those of less pure descent e.g. everyone who is not Italian. Believe me, business with a lack of these little giant-killing peoples is either a head shop or a Del Taco in my opinion.
Dan's Final Thought/Advice: If you seem to be having difficulty as an Italian-American in the workplace, there are still viable options that exceed basic entry-level positions. First of all, we can enroll and graduate from colleges and universities as anyone else; although, we cannot get the financial aid that the abolishionist-loving peoples receive. My advice would be to join the Sons of Italy, which is the largest and oldest known Italian-American fraternal organization in the United States. For you Italian Canucks, if you exist, there is a similar organization in Canada. I am an avid member of this fine establishment, and they have given me great insight into many aspects of our "Italianized" American culture.
Be creative and smart with your amazing attributes as an Italian. Do not allow stereotypes or naysayers to disrupt your rise to greatness. When in doubt, pretend and believe as if you were Mussolini himself, and you will undubitably land the job position you desire if the employer values his democracy. I look forward to a wide-open response of comments to this blog in particular, as it so practically pertains to my life. Adio.
...I am in no way a professional blogger yet. Somehow I was cut short in my truthful discussion concerning the Italian working man and woman and sometimes child (usually the kids that have to smash grapes with their feet in old Sicily). Now as many of you may have guessed, I am a true-blooded Italian. But even more so, I am a full-out Sicilian. We succeeded from the north, or maybe that was simply a part of the erosion of the great Pangea. I think it was. Nonetheless, I was trying to portray an image of how blatantly disrespectful a certain part of the application process in America has become. No, I am not African-American, Hispanic, or really even Caucasian (unless I've drank too many of these fine cocktails; I tend to give a pale hue about my skin). So, business owners of the world. Realize and analyze this (Robert Deniro, Billy Crystal). In the 2000 U.S. Census annual report, Italian Americans constituted the fifth largest ancestry group in America with about 15.6 million people. That's 5.6% percent of the population. As of 2006, we became even more abundant at 17.8 million Italian-Americans comprising 6.0% of the U.S. populace (Euro-Americans.net/census2000). Yes, we are amazing people, but these numbers also show that with that amazingness, we deserve a spot on every ethnic background area of every kind and type of application in America.
What could be better than numerous amounts of absolutely amazing people in the respectful job positions? Even though we are sons and daughters of Italy, we cannot all become Rocky. I am not diluted into thinking that we are the greatest nationality of peoples because we were born that way. Maybe, but we had to work just as hard if not harder than those of less pure descent e.g. everyone who is not Italian. Believe me, business with a lack of these little giant-killing peoples is either a head shop or a Del Taco in my opinion.
Dan's Final Thought/Advice: If you seem to be having difficulty as an Italian-American in the workplace, there are still viable options that exceed basic entry-level positions. First of all, we can enroll and graduate from colleges and universities as anyone else; although, we cannot get the financial aid that the abolishionist-loving peoples receive. My advice would be to join the Sons of Italy, which is the largest and oldest known Italian-American fraternal organization in the United States. For you Italian Canucks, if you exist, there is a similar organization in Canada. I am an avid member of this fine establishment, and they have given me great insight into many aspects of our "Italianized" American culture.
Be creative and smart with your amazing attributes as an Italian. Do not allow stereotypes or naysayers to disrupt your rise to greatness. When in doubt, pretend and believe as if you were Mussolini himself, and you will undubitably land the job position you desire if the employer values his democracy. I look forward to a wide-open response of comments to this blog in particular, as it so practically pertains to my life. Adio.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Testosterone: Cost/Benefit Analysis
As an alpha-male with heavy emphasis on beta brainwaves as a means of thought, I have struggled with the control of that crazy hormone, testosterone. With beta thought process, I tend to deal with my daily activities in a speedy and sometimes incessant manner. When you add testosterone to this process, you may become somewhat overbearing. On the other hand, this extra hormonal boost may yield intense thoughts of unparralleled nature. These attributes can be a cost or a benefit given certain situations. {Potential Cost or Benefit}
As a young man, I find myself constantly under the spell of this tantalizing natural opiate. Along with my youth, my Italian genetic background may shed more insight into the world of controlling my little hormones. Yes, we Italians are known to be quick to hostility, but most fail to realize that we only react this way when we are threatened. Did Mussolini feal threatened? I believe maybe (A discussion for another blog). Did we not slave in subpar jobs for decades in the major cities of the US with little or no government support when we first arrived? Of course we did. Were the streets of Brooklyn littered with poverty and crime when the Italians ran things, no matter how stern the operations were? I have heard from my wise grandfather that it was like heaven for Italians and other godly peoples. Currently, Brooklyn figuratively resembles the aftermath of an atomic bomb under the African-American rule. By the way, I love African-Americans, they make even the simplest things so much more exciting and captivating. Do Italians have sadistic grape vines that wrap their vines around the necks of their creators? No. But, I can virtually assure you, my fellow bloggers, that we are no more hostile than a wild bear with no toilet paper. I hope that makes you feel safer the next time you visit Little Italy or maybe a classic Italian delicattesen. Testosterone abundance in our veins allows us to react with fervid force. If power we come to harness, boundless our limits are (as the great Yoda might phrase this sentence). {Definite Benefit}
I believe I have cleared Italians from the dark stigma of being overly testosterone-laden, yet I think the proof is up for intelligent-only debate. Not to be a flaccid chalupa in a wet taco, but I absolutely don't want to hear a comment unless some thought and research has been put into it. Comments should be truly objective. Objectivity breeds quality subjectivity. I would love to hear what my thoughtful bloggerites think about this delicate subject matter and more importantly how it pertains to Italian-Americans. I hope you respect my brutal honesty because honestly, I have so much more to bring to this table of roundness in the days, and hopefully months and years to come.
Dan's Final Thought/Advice: If you have had problems controlling yourself, why not be realistic and channel your energy to a creative and logical focus. I personally have found great relief in daily exercise. I utilize strenuous exercise and strict diet regimens to achieve goals, but more importantly to relieve stress and increase my sense of well-being as it surely will with any of you. This activity along with proper diet will increase testosterone activity in your body over time; however, you will be much more suited to control it because of the dedication of daily exercise. Be smart and humble with your powers. Someday, the testosterone flooding your brain may manifest something extraordinary. Adio.
As a young man, I find myself constantly under the spell of this tantalizing natural opiate. Along with my youth, my Italian genetic background may shed more insight into the world of controlling my little hormones. Yes, we Italians are known to be quick to hostility, but most fail to realize that we only react this way when we are threatened. Did Mussolini feal threatened? I believe maybe (A discussion for another blog). Did we not slave in subpar jobs for decades in the major cities of the US with little or no government support when we first arrived? Of course we did. Were the streets of Brooklyn littered with poverty and crime when the Italians ran things, no matter how stern the operations were? I have heard from my wise grandfather that it was like heaven for Italians and other godly peoples. Currently, Brooklyn figuratively resembles the aftermath of an atomic bomb under the African-American rule. By the way, I love African-Americans, they make even the simplest things so much more exciting and captivating. Do Italians have sadistic grape vines that wrap their vines around the necks of their creators? No. But, I can virtually assure you, my fellow bloggers, that we are no more hostile than a wild bear with no toilet paper. I hope that makes you feel safer the next time you visit Little Italy or maybe a classic Italian delicattesen. Testosterone abundance in our veins allows us to react with fervid force. If power we come to harness, boundless our limits are (as the great Yoda might phrase this sentence). {Definite Benefit}
I believe I have cleared Italians from the dark stigma of being overly testosterone-laden, yet I think the proof is up for intelligent-only debate. Not to be a flaccid chalupa in a wet taco, but I absolutely don't want to hear a comment unless some thought and research has been put into it. Comments should be truly objective. Objectivity breeds quality subjectivity. I would love to hear what my thoughtful bloggerites think about this delicate subject matter and more importantly how it pertains to Italian-Americans. I hope you respect my brutal honesty because honestly, I have so much more to bring to this table of roundness in the days, and hopefully months and years to come.
Dan's Final Thought/Advice: If you have had problems controlling yourself, why not be realistic and channel your energy to a creative and logical focus. I personally have found great relief in daily exercise. I utilize strenuous exercise and strict diet regimens to achieve goals, but more importantly to relieve stress and increase my sense of well-being as it surely will with any of you. This activity along with proper diet will increase testosterone activity in your body over time; however, you will be much more suited to control it because of the dedication of daily exercise. Be smart and humble with your powers. Someday, the testosterone flooding your brain may manifest something extraordinary. Adio.
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